Election latest: More bad news for Tory campaign as latest donation figures released (2024)

Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner called for the Tories and the prime minister to "come clean" and disclose further details of alleged breaches of gambling rules.

During a visit to a manufacturing technology centre near Coventry, Ms Rayner was asked if the prime minister should confirm how many people were known to be involved in the election date betting row.

Ms Rayner responded: "I think he should be up front if he knows what the details are.

"He should explain and inform people about that.

"I think it's worse for the Conservative Party that they've got this drip-feed approach.

"I think they should just come clean and tell people what's happened.

"I think a lot of people are starting to make their minds up now because we've had a pattern of behaviour. It's not just one issue that we've seen now with the betting scandal.

"We've had time and time again... this approach of self-service as opposed to service for the country."

Nigel Farage has reiterated that he blames the West and NATO for the Russian invasion of Ukraine - as he confirmed that he previously said he "admired" Vladimir Putin as a statesman.

Speaking to the BBC, the Reform UK leader was asked about his previous comments on Russia and Ukraine.

Asked about the Russia invading Ukraine in 2022, Mr Farage told Nick Robinson that he has been saying since Berlin Wall fell there would be a war in Ukraine due to the "ever-eastward expansion of NATO and the European Union".

He said this was giving this Putin a reason to say to the Russian people "'They're coming for us again,' and to go to war".

The Reform leader confirmed his belief the West "provoked" the conflict - but did say it was Putin's "fault".

On Putin himself, previous comments Mr Farage had made were put to him.

He was asked about comments he made previously stating that Putin was the statesman he most admired.

Mr Farage said he disliked the Russian leader - but "I admired him as a political operator because he's managed to take control of running Russia".

"This is the nonsense, you know, you can pick any figure, current or historical, and say, you know, did they have good aspects?" he added.

"And if you said, well, they were very talented in one area, then suddenly you're the biggest supporter."

Our weeknight politics showPolitics Hubwill be live on Sky News from 7pm with ourpolitical correspondentAli Fortescuehosting this evening.

The fast-paced programme dissects the inner workings of Westminster, with interviews, insights, and analysis - bringing you, the audience, into the corridors of power.

Joining Ali tonight:

• Alison McGovern, the shadow employment secretary.

And on her panel are:

• Guto Harri, former director of communications for Number 10 under Boris Johnson;
  
• Caroline Flint, the former Labour MP for Don Valley.
  

Watch live on Sky News, in the stream at the top of this page, and follow live updates here in the Politics Hub.

WatchPolitics Hubfrom 7pm every night during the election campaign on Sky channel 501, Virgin channel 602, Freeview channel 233, on theSky News websiteandappor onYouTube.

From first past the post to voter ID, here's everything you need to know about the general election in less than five minutes.

Government borrowing was less than expected in May, new figures have revealed.

Net borrowing - the difference between public sector spending and income - was £15bn, an increase of £0.8bn on the same time last year, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported on Friday.

The amount is below the £15.7bn forecast by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) and less than expected by economists.

However, it was still the highest amount for the month of May since theCOVID-19 pandemic.

The ONS also said that public sector net debt, excluding public sector banks, was provisionally estimated at 99.8% of gross domestic product (GDP) in May - the highest level since March 1961.

The figure is also 3.7 percentage points higher than during the same period last year.

Economists said it showed that whoever wins theupcoming general electionwill face a string of potential financial challenges.

It's 5pm - time for your teatime election update.

The general election takes place in under two weeks, and political parties from across the House of Commons are busy on the campaign trail.

Here's what you might have missed so far today:

• Rishi Sunak has reiterated he was "incredibly angry" when he learned about allegations that his own parliamentary aid Craig Williams, who is a Tory candidate, had placed a bet on the election;
• Laura Saunders, the candidate for Bristol North West, and her husband, director of campaigns Tony Lee, are also being investigated by the Gambling Commission;
• David TC Davies, the Welsh secretary, told Sky News this morning that he "certainly" did not bet on the date of the general election;
  
• And, as we have just learned, the Conservatives got less than £300,000 in party donations between 7 and 12 June - far behind the £4.3m handed to Labour;
• Mr Sunak's favourability is now at an all time low, with three quarters of Britons having an unfavourable view of him - less even than Mr Johnson's lowest polling;
• The Welsh Conservatives have launched their manifesto today.

• Over with Labour, who - as we just mentioned - have come top of the list for party donations for the second week of the general election campaign.
• And Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer today said he would not enter negotiations with the Scottish government on an independence referendum if the SNP wins a majority of Scottish seats at the 4 July election;
• Sir Keir has also admitted today that the choice the public faced in the 2019 general election - Boris Johnson or Jeremy Corbyn - "wasn't a good one";
• And Welsh Labour has launched its manifesto today, with shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves detailing the "simple choice" voters have to face on 4 July.

• Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey today criticised Rishi Sunak's response to his party's betting scandal as "not good enough";
• And Plaid Cymru has claimed Welsh Labour's manifesto lacks ambition and undermines devolution. The party said that Labour is imposing further austerity on Wales with £1.8bn worth of cuts to public services.

While you're here, check out more of our election coverage below:

Norman Phillips and his wife Ros – who lives with multiple sclerosis and dementia - are the human faces of the social care crisis.

Initially Norman was able to combine work with his caring responsibilities but as Ros's condition worsened, he took early retirement.

The couple found help hard to come by and after Norman suffered an injury, they were forced to sell their home to settle care-related debts.

Ros is now subject to an NHS continuing healthcare plan after Norman suffered a breakdown earlier this year and authorities decided he was unable to carry on caring for his wife.

This includes round the clock care for Ros – something Norman says wouldn't have been needed if a lower level of help had been made available earlier.

He said: "They've got six million of us unpaid carers. If they… help us, we can help the system.

"But what's happened to me, you know, is the system just kept backing away and backing away until I cracked."

Read political correspondent Rob Powell's full report below.

The Traditional Unionist Voice have launched their manifesto, outlining their long-standing plans to remove post-Brexit trade barriers in the Irish Sea.

Here's a look at the key points in the 32-page document:

• Create a system of mutual enforcement for goods moving between the EU and UK
• Implement a freeze on non-essential immigration
• Pick up illegal migrants out of boats and take them back to France
• Take the UK out of the European Convention on Human Rights
• Raise employer National Insurance rates for foreign workers to 20%
• Direct ruleshould come from Westminster rather than "Sinn Fein rule from Stormont"
• Cut cooperation tax from 25% to 15% over three years
• Raising the starting threshold for paying basic income tax to £20,000
• Scrap VAT on all energy bills
• Reform the planning system by fast-tracking new housing on brownfield sites
• Create a rail link from Belfast International airport
• Market cultural attractions like the Twelfth better
• Increased funding for mental health services
• Pull the plug on planned redevelopment of Casem*nt Park or hold non-GAA events there to claw back money
• Reject notion that "gender-neutral" changing rooms should become normal and biological males should be permitted access to women's only spaces
• Greater job security and holiday pay for classroom assistants

By Tom Cheshire, online campaign correspondent

If you want a good idea of what matters to each party - its deepest desires, its darkest fears - look at where it's spending money.

What it shows is a story of Labour spending big and spending everywhere, as it pursues a plausible supermajority, while the Conservatives retreat to fight for some of their heartland constituencies, and spend much less.

It shows the current state of play for all parties across the country. The map shows which is the biggest spender in each constituency - which parts of the country they're fighting to win, or not to lose.

The map was created by Who Targets Me (WTM), which tracks digital political advertising and has partnered with Sky News as part of our online campaign team.

"Our map of advertising activity shows where the parties have targeted their Facebook and Instagram ads in the last week," Sam Jeffers, executive director of WTM, says.

You can read more from Sky News below:

The Conservative Party is seen as "tawdry", Ruth Davidson has said, as two of its candidates are being investigated over alleged bets placed on the election date.

The Gambling Commission islooking into two Tory candidates over alleged wagerson the date of the 4 July election.

An industry source has told Sky News that "more names" are being looked into, but police are so far "not involved".

Speaking on theElectoral Dysfunctionpodcast with Sky News political editor Beth Rigby, and former broadcaster and presenter Carol Vorderman, the former leader of the Scottish Tories waded into the fallout of the alleged betting scandal.

"What an absolute sh*t show. Firstly, I mean, how tawdry is it?" she said.

She described it as akin to "insider trading" and criticised Rishi Sunak's response, saying he had repeatedly failed to get out in front and take control of events.

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